Could short track soon become an Olympic sport? It seems that the UCI, led by David Lappartient, is moving in this direction. Cycling is one of the main sports of the Games, with 22 medals across five disciplines, including road, track, mountain biking, freestyle BMX and BMX racing.
In an interview with Inside the games, Lappartient reported that the UCI is pushing to add more cycling disciplines to the Olympics, namely: flatland BMX, Team Relay and Short Track.
“The more disciplines we have, the better it is for our sport. However, we need to find the link between size and feasibility: more disciplines require more organizers and a bigger budget. We need to be reasonable. The goal for us is first of all to maintain the five Olympic disciplines that we have: BMX racing, BMX Freestyle, Cross Country, road race and time trial. I thought about the Team Relay for mountain bikes because it might not require additional athletes who need accommodation or transportation, since the best riders are already involved in the cross country or, in the desirable, short track” – David Lappartient at Inside the Games
E-SPORTS
And about virtual sports, what does the UCI think?
“We're thinking about it: why not have a medal for e-cycling? For Los Angeles 2028 we will understand if it is feasible” – David Lappartient
Lappartient did not provide a timeline, but it's likely that any changes won't come until the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
